Rape bid charge in Tapas speech zone

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Krishnagar, July 8: A CPM member in a Nadia block where Tapas Paul had given the “rape-and-kill” speech today accused a youth of trying to rape her.

The 27-year-old woman, a CPM women’s wing member and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) worker in Nakashipara block, lodged a police complaint alleging that the youth had dragged her into a jute field and tried to rape her.

“I was returning home from the ICDS centre around 11am when the youth began following me. He had been pestering me for the past few months. When I was walking through a deserted stretch, he caught me by my hand, dragged me into a jute field and tried to rape me. I pushed him away and screamed. Some farmers came running and the youth fled.”

An officer of Nakashipara police station said the accused was absconding.

The secretary of the CPM women’s wing zonal committee, Salina Sadi, alleged that the accused was a Trinamul supporter and he was “encouraged” by party MP Paul’s speech.

“It is Tapas Paul’s speech that drove the youth to try to rape our member in broad daylight. Such incidents could recur as a fallout of Tapas Paul’s inflammatory speech,” Sadi said.

Trinamul’s Nakashipara MLA, Kallol Khan, denied that the youth had anything to do with the party.

In his speech at Nakashipara’s Choumaha village, video footage of which has been aired in the media, actor-MP Paul had threatened to send his boys to Opposition homes to rape families and vowed to personally shoot his rivals.

Police are yet to take any action against Paul and Trinamul has accepted an “unconditional” apology” from the MP.